The Gift of the Magi Flashcards
by O. Henry — tap or click to flip
Flashcard Review
Flashcards: The Gift of the Magi
How much money does Della have at the start of the story?
Della has $1.87, sixty cents of which is in pennies she saved by bargaining with shopkeepers.
What does Della do to raise money for Jim's Christmas gift?
She sells her long brown hair to Madame Sofronie, a hair goods dealer, for $20.
What gift does Della buy for Jim with the money from her hair?
She buys a platinum fob chain for $21 to go with Jim's prized gold pocket watch.
What gift does Jim buy for Della?
Jim buys a set of beautiful tortoiseshell combs with jewelled rims that Della had long admired in a Broadway shop window.
What had Jim sold to pay for Della's gift?
Jim sold his gold pocket watch — the heirloom passed down from his father and grandfather — to buy the combs.
Why are both gifts rendered useless by the end of the story?
Della sold the hair that the combs were meant to adorn, and Jim sold the watch that the fob chain was meant for, so neither gift can serve its intended purpose.
How much does Della's weekly rent cost?
The couple rents a furnished flat for $8 per week.
What is Jim's salary at the time of the story?
Jim earns $20 per week, down from a former salary of $30 per week.
Who are the two main characters in "The Gift of the Magi"?
The two main characters are Della and Jim Dillingham Young, a young married couple living in poverty in New York City.
What is Madame Sofronie's role in the story?
Madame Sofronie is the hair goods dealer who buys Della's hair for $20, providing the money Della needs to buy Jim's gift.
How old is Jim at the time of the story?
Jim is only twenty-two years old, yet already burdened with the financial pressures of supporting a family.
What were the two prized possessions of the Dillingham Young household?
Jim's gold pocket watch (an heirloom from his father and grandfather) and Della's long, beautiful brown hair.
What is the central theme of "The Gift of the Magi"?
The central theme is that true love is expressed through selfless sacrifice, which is more valuable than any material gift.
What does O. Henry suggest about the wisdom of Jim and Della's gifts?
Though their gifts are practically useless, O. Henry calls them "the wisest" gift-givers because their willingness to sacrifice for each other reflects the deepest kind of love.
How does the story contrast material poverty with spiritual wealth?
Though Jim and Della live in a shabby flat with barely enough money, their capacity for selfless love makes them richer in spirit than people with far greater material wealth.
What type of irony is central to the plot of "The Gift of the Magi"?
The story uses situational irony: each character's sacrifice unknowingly makes the other's gift impossible to use.
Who are the Magi referenced in the story's title and ending?
The Magi are the wise men from the Bible who brought gifts to the infant Jesus; O. Henry invokes them to call Jim and Della the wisest of all gift-givers.
What is the narrative point of view in "The Gift of the Magi"?
The story is told in third-person with a warm, intrusive narrator who directly addresses the reader and offers moral commentary.
What is the significance of the allusion to the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon?
O. Henry compares Della's hair to riches that would shame the Queen of Sheba, and Jim's watch to a treasure that would make King Solomon envious, establishing their possessions as extraordinary despite the couple's poverty.
What does the story's ending reveal about the nature of the gifts?
The ending reveals that the act of sacrifice itself — not the physical objects — is the true gift, making Jim and Della wiser than the Biblical Magi.
What does "parsimony" mean as used in the opening paragraph?
Parsimony means extreme frugality or stinginess; O. Henry uses it to describe the impression Della gave shopkeepers when she bargained hard to save every penny.
What does "meretricious" mean in the description of the fob chain?
Meretricious means falsely attractive or showy; O. Henry uses it to praise the chain's understated, honest elegance.
What does "mendicancy" mean in the description of the flat?
Mendicancy refers to the state of being a beggar; O. Henry humorously says the flat "had that word on the look-out for the mendicancy squad," meaning it looked desperately poor.
What does "chaste" mean in the description of the platinum fob chain?
In this context, chaste means simple and pure in design, without excessive ornamentation.
What line does O. Henry use to describe the moral of the story's opening?
O. Henry writes that "life is made up of sobs, sniffles, and smiles, with sniffles predominating."
What does Della whisper as a prayer before Jim comes home?
She whispers: "Please, God, make him think I am still pretty."
How does O. Henry describe Della and Jim in the final paragraph?
He calls them "two foolish children in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatest treasures of their house," then declares them "the wisest" of all who give gifts.